tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36372339898624340712018-03-05T11:30:23.553-05:00Fabricate!vb. To make. <br>
syn: assemble, brainstorm, BUILD, compose, CONCEIVE, concoct, construct, contrive, COOK UP, create, devise, DREAM UP, fashion, fit together, form, formulate, frame, INVENT, join, knock together, MAKE, make up, mix, organize, PARENT, piece together, PRODUCE, put together, shape, structure, THINK UP, throw together, turn out, whip upDebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-19139645597147867072011-05-30T12:53:00.000-04:002011-05-30T12:53:15.309-04:00To Do List: Thrifted 3 tiered standI am always on the look out for fun things at yard sales and thrift stores to re-purpose. This is brilliant idea, and I will keep my eyes peeled for the materials to make this!<br /><br /><a href="http://thecraftingchicks.com/2011/05/6955.html">3-tiered Stand from The Crafting Chicks</a>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-28442762641953978782011-05-28T16:35:00.000-04:002011-05-28T16:35:25.405-04:00To Do List: Polaroid MagnetsI absolutely have to make these! There is nothing that I can say that will expand on the actual page, so I'm just going to post the link. When I actually make them, I'll post pictures. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ambrosiagirl.com/blog/tiny-polaroid-magnets/">Tiny Polaroid Magnets</a>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-18367111319668515392011-05-23T11:38:00.000-04:002011-05-23T11:38:14.086-04:00Bringing some new life into the house (and yard!)I got quite a few new plants to add to the house and I re-potted them all in cute pots. Aren't they cute?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UMdhiu_ExtA/Tdp86VLsNUI/AAAAAAAAAFs/fwjoFXV7368/s1600/230410_525432847334_113300284_30862712_6262072_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UMdhiu_ExtA/Tdp86VLsNUI/AAAAAAAAAFs/fwjoFXV7368/s320/230410_525432847334_113300284_30862712_6262072_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />I also got 9 stems of salvia (not the drug kind, but the sage kind) hoping to attract some hummingbirds and 2 Ice Plants (because they cascade and flower) to hang outside. They are both perennials and both like full sun, which they're going to get. I'm very excited about the new additions. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--L6g6Q0QLYE/Tdp-0zgrEJI/AAAAAAAAAFw/zIWmtMxwHyE/s1600/225256_525432912204_113300284_30862715_177053_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--L6g6Q0QLYE/Tdp-0zgrEJI/AAAAAAAAAFw/zIWmtMxwHyE/s320/225256_525432912204_113300284_30862715_177053_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iRzEDyfuOT8/Tdp-2NP2ToI/AAAAAAAAAF0/-KYovjBCras/s1600/227438_525432897234_113300284_30862714_3545992_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iRzEDyfuOT8/Tdp-2NP2ToI/AAAAAAAAAF0/-KYovjBCras/s320/227438_525432897234_113300284_30862714_3545992_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-14766622206170873112011-05-23T11:16:00.000-04:002011-05-23T11:16:23.443-04:00Colorful Deliciousness a.k.a. Rainbow Hashbrowns (Photo Heavy)<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8yn4hTbt5I/AAAAAAAAAFU/gKj_DPuvpiA/s1600/102_4231.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461925037547960210" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8yn4hTbt5I/AAAAAAAAAFU/gKj_DPuvpiA/s400/102_4231.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8ym2ChKbbI/AAAAAAAAAFM/-m9p80BDCIk/s1600/102_4232.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461923895412682162" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8ym2ChKbbI/AAAAAAAAAFM/-m9p80BDCIk/s400/102_4232.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8yky6CwzSI/AAAAAAAAAFE/e_SA600cMzA/s1600/102_4217.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461921642574826786" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8yky6CwzSI/AAAAAAAAAFE/e_SA600cMzA/s400/102_4217.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8yjf01AjgI/AAAAAAAAAE8/S_Jfb8q0O-o/s1600/102_4211.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461920215245819394" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8yjf01AjgI/AAAAAAAAAE8/S_Jfb8q0O-o/s400/102_4211.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />So, I'm trying to get more vegetables in our diets. There are quite a few that my husband doesn't like/won't eat, so I'm trying to be creative. I've been looking through many vegetarian cookbooks lately and I found this recipe. I don't remember what cookbook it was in, and I've changed the recipe a bit, so I'll list it here.<br /><br />The thing I love about this recipe is that it contains 5 vegetables that my husband doesn't like and a couple that he doesn't care for! It's a great way to get him to eat a variety of veggies without forcing food he hates down his throat. This meal is a little time-consuming on the prep part, but so worth it. So so worth it. I loved every bite and I cannot wait to make it again. I loved photographing all the colors so I took a picture of almost every step, which is really unnecessary, but fun.<br /><br />This is a really simple recipe. You take a bunch of vegetables (I used potatoes, squash, zucchini, peppers, red onions, and carrots), shred them, squeeze the water out of them and then fry them in a skillet with canola or olive oil, just like you would shredded hash browns. Then eat with lots of ketchup! Yum! <br /><br />I think a way to improve this recipe would be to par-boil the veggies first and drain/press really well. For the harder veggies to cook, the softer veggies have to reach a point of mushiness, which is no fun. In the future, I'll parboil the veggies, dry them, and spread them on a baking sheet to freeze and keep a bag in the freezer for mornings. <br /><br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /><br /><div id="refHTML"></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-49373584816880057232010-04-16T13:45:00.009-04:002010-04-16T14:35:57.655-04:00An easy, relaxing (non-frugal) meal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8ilAywo2eI/AAAAAAAAAEc/rrIEqaUv70Y/s1600/102_3966.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8ilAywo2eI/AAAAAAAAAEc/rrIEqaUv70Y/s400/102_3966.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460795981231086050" border="0" /></a><br />When I was a kid, every once in a while my family would have a meal of 'finger foods'. Mostly it would be meat, cheese and crackers. I loved that kind of meal. We all used our fingers and shared off of the same big plate in the middle. We seemed to talk more and have more fun. So, I wanted to do that with my husband. We made up the platters and sat on the floor in the living room and watched a movie. It was cute, it was fun, and best of all, no cooking on a busy night.<br /><br />It's a little bit of an expensive meal because I have this love affair with certain cheeses and just HAVE to have them when I do a thing like this. Namely, smoked gouda. Mmmmm... So good. We got monterrey and colby jack, Laughing Cow spreadable swiss, smoked gouda, and a port and wine cheeseball. Turkey and ham were our meats. I threw in some carrots with the crackers so we'd have some kind of vegetable for this finger-food meal.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8inLCGRYSI/AAAAAAAAAEk/HUNoyy5uXHQ/s1600/102_3968.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8inLCGRYSI/AAAAAAAAAEk/HUNoyy5uXHQ/s320/102_3968.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460798356170301730" border="0" /></a>Yummy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8ikvlyqoyI/AAAAAAAAAEU/FjOnZM8jWgo/s1600/102_3963.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8ikvlyqoyI/AAAAAAAAAEU/FjOnZM8jWgo/s320/102_3963.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460795685692154658" border="0" /></a>We tried Roasted Vegetable Ritz crackers and I LOVED them. I like them a lot better than the original flavor. I just think they have a lot more to offer, flavor-wise.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8iouede2gI/AAAAAAAAAE0/xmWAviOZF-U/s1600/102_3970.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8iouede2gI/AAAAAAAAAE0/xmWAviOZF-U/s320/102_3970.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460800064590895618" border="0" /></a>We also tried these babies. SO good! There's shredded cheese melted on top of the crackers, so they're super tasty. They're a little expensive for how much you get, but if you're treating yourself, why not? They're good!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8ioIdPqqcI/AAAAAAAAAEs/dYFG8TdGvrM/s1600/102_3969.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8ioIdPqqcI/AAAAAAAAAEs/dYFG8TdGvrM/s320/102_3969.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460799411429484994" border="0" /></a><br />I hope everyone has at least one fun, easy dinner in their repertoire!<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-18269294778861051822010-04-15T09:57:00.004-04:002010-04-15T10:41:59.596-04:00I need a changeObviously, I'm doing something wrong with the way I treat myself. I feel like crap. I am constantly hungry, never have any energy, I feel sick all the time, and I am so super lethargic. So, I MUST be doing something wrong. I believe that I'm just putting the wrong things in my body. If I believe the mantras 'You are what you eat' and 'Put good in, get good out' and I am feeling the way I do, then the logical answer to my problems would be that I am putting 'crap' in. When I examine my eating habits and my lifestyle, I can see that that is indeed true. I eat whatever I want, pretty much in whatever quantity I want, don't exercise enough, and don't take care of myself in the way I should. So, what's the solution? Start eating well! All the time! (Or most of the time, at least!) And exercise!<br /><br />My husband and I so often eat fast food that we almost never get the veggies we need. We blame it on the 'no time' we have, but really, it's just a lie that we use so that we can be lazy. We've got to stop eating out so much, first and foremost. Secondly, we need to eat more vegetables! I started this last night with an AMAZING recipe which I will talk about in my next post. Third, we need to eat more fruit. Fruit is best for breakfast, by itself, because fruit tends to digest rather quickly on its own which means you will get the nutrients, fiber, and vitamins faster. If you eat fruit with other slower-digesting food, you'll have the fruit just sitting there for much longer than needed in your hot stomach. Yuck! Fermenting fruit=so not tasty! So, I want to eat raw fruit for breakfast and wait at least 30 minutes before eating anything else. That way, I'm guaranteed to get the servings of fruit I need. Take, for example, this morning. I ate most of a medium mango, a small kiwi, and 1/4 of a cantaloupe. Took me about 5 minutes to prep and cut up, but I stayed satisfied for a little under 3 hours, which is rather unusual for me (I'm ALWAYS hungry, even if I just ate a huge meal at a buffet.) I know that I started my day off with plenty of vitamins and enzymes and fiber and just... delicious. I should do this every day. See?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8cixhQHZPI/AAAAAAAAAEM/TBuKTCHH-yY/s1600/102_4234.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S8cixhQHZPI/AAAAAAAAAEM/TBuKTCHH-yY/s400/102_4234.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460371307344913650" border="0" /></a>I'll post more about the vegetables and recipes I'm going to start adding to our diets soon.<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-34926971363200427392010-03-30T10:38:00.009-04:002010-03-30T11:22:30.329-04:00Healthy Start<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S7IWAJoUJCI/AAAAAAAAAEE/iTNQv-Eb2B4/s1600/102_3952.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S7IWAJoUJCI/AAAAAAAAAEE/iTNQv-Eb2B4/s400/102_3952.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454446290539914274" border="0" /></a>Everyone knows that they are supposed to eat lots of greens everyday, right? Sometimes, though, you just don't have the time to sit down and eat a salad. You should make this instead: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S7INpnMQu0I/AAAAAAAAADc/ZygkAfHwli0/s1600/102_3948.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S7INpnMQu0I/AAAAAAAAADc/ZygkAfHwli0/s400/102_3948.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454437107245300546" border="0" /></a>I got the idea from Tasha at Clean Eating Mama blog (original post <a href="http://www.thecleaneatingmama.com/2010/03/bring-on-green.html">here</a>) and I love it. I changed the recipe a bit, so here's what I did:<br /><br />8 oz. almond milk<br />3 tablespoons flax meal<br />2 large bananas<br />3 large handfuls of greens (spinach, kale, mixed baby greens)<br />1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled<br />1 1/2 cup frozen strawberries<br />1 tablespoon agave (note about agave at the bottom)<br />drizzle strawberry syrup (optional, and shouldn't really be in this list)<br /><br />Place the almond milk, flax, and bananas in your regular old blender and blend. Add your greens and blend until smooth. Add in all your strawberries until completely smooth and taste. If you think it needs a bit of sweetness, add some agave nectar (or maybe a simple syrup if you don't have/don't like agave) and taste again. It should be thick, cold, and taste like strawberries with a hint of banana. You won't be able to taste the greens at all. (I accidentally pu too much flax in mine and the flavor of it over powered the drink so I put in some strawberry syrup. I realize this was a silly thing to do since I'm drinking this for the ton of healthy stuff in it, but oh well; we can't be perfect all the time! =D) Pour it in a tall clear glass, and garnish with a strawberry. It's pretty, tasty, and healthy. You'll have several servings of fruit, a couple servings of vegetables, healthy fats from the almond milk, and plenty of Omega-3s from the flax. Not to mention plenty of fiber from the strawberries and flax. Very tasty.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S7IUIMhRaZI/AAAAAAAAAD0/Lz4Sko1Ww3I/s1600/102_3949.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S7IUIMhRaZI/AAAAAAAAAD0/Lz4Sko1Ww3I/s400/102_3949.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454444229731379602" border="0" /></a><br />And look who else liked it!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S7IQlh09PTI/AAAAAAAAADk/FnbYUjZxT3s/s1600/102_3958.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S7IQlh09PTI/AAAAAAAAADk/FnbYUjZxT3s/s320/102_3958.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454440335620783410" border="0" /></a><br />She mostly just wanted the strawberry, though.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S7IVMcSSMxI/AAAAAAAAAD8/eHk-9wi2ra8/s1600/102_3961.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S7IVMcSSMxI/AAAAAAAAAD8/eHk-9wi2ra8/s400/102_3961.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454445402194588434" border="0" /></a>Now, about agave nectar: If you've never tried it, you must! It's amazing stuff. The agave is closely related to the lilly and amaryllis, and the nectar is a delicious sap called <i>aguamiel</i> (honey water.) It is sweet and delicious, and healthier than processed white sugar, especially if you get raw agave nectar. It is a great vegetarian replacement for honey, and some tequila is made with agave. I use it in sweet tea, on pancakes, in coffee, to sweeten up vegetable shakes, etc. It's cheaper than honey, and lasts me a long time. Try it out!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S7IS5ooDl2I/AAAAAAAAADs/PYGqyLMCJV0/s1600/102_3955.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S7IS5ooDl2I/AAAAAAAAADs/PYGqyLMCJV0/s320/102_3955.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454442880066361186" border="0" /></a><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-19235390137839295102010-03-09T10:23:00.001-05:002010-03-09T11:34:27.154-05:00Top Ten<div style="text-align: left;">Everyone wants to save money, right? There's a blog I like, <a href="http://lifeasmom.com/">Life As Mom</a>, that offers lots of ideas for keeping things manageable, and I enjoy applying the tips I find there to my own life. There's another blog I like, <a href="http://is-it-naptime-yet.blogspot.com/">Is It Naptime Yet?</a>, that talks a lot about green lifestyle, knowing where your food comes from, buying organic, and frugality. Heather, at Is It Naptime Yet?, taking example from the Life As Mom blog, has posted her Top 10 ways to be frugal at the grocery store. (The original post is linked here: <a href="http://is-it-naptime-yet.blogspot.com/2010/03/frugal-friday.html">Frugal Friday</a>.) There are 10 tips that are easy to follow that make a big difference in your spending. Below, I've listed Heather's tips, but added my own commentary. To view her comments on each tip, view her original post.<br /><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>#1 </b></u><u><i>Keeping an inventory of what you have</i></u></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am bad at this. There are so many times I go to the store and think 'Do I have this? Do I have that?' I usually end up buying more than I need to. Having a list helps me with that. I like to use Evernote.com, simply because I can log into the website from anywhere and have a copy of what I have at home. Also, if you take pictures, evernote will make the text in the pictures searchable! How awesome is that?<br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>#2</b><i> Meal Planning</i></u></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a very good thing to do. You may think it takes too long, or is too difficult, but it's not. It is very worth it. You don't feel rushed at the end of the day because you already know what you are going to eat and you already have the food in your pantry. The peace of mind from that is worth any amount of work. Heather says she sits down and writes a number for each day of the month (1-30 for example) and then writes down that many meals and allows the family to pick together what meals to make each day. I like to plan each day so that I can incorporate leftovers into new dishes (since my husband hates leftovers), and use the other half of that onion or ground beef, or whatever it is. I end up buying less and getting a lot more out of each item I buy.There are meal planning templates over at <a href="http://moneysavingmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/msm_menu_planning_pack.pdf">Money Saving Mom</a> and <a href="http://www.5dollardinners.com/2010/03/meal-planning-resources.html?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed:+5Dinners+%28$5+Dinners%29">$5 Dinners</a>.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>#3</b><i> Always have a grocery list</i></u></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm keeping Heather's commentary for this one. I couldn't say it better!<br />"Research shows that 60-70% of what ends up in your grocery cart is unplanned!</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Make a grocery list. </b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you've done numbers 1 and 2 then this one should be a cinch! Never, ever go into a grocery store without a list. Statistics show that you, on average will spend $1 for every minute you're in a grocery store... IF you don't have a list. People who have grocery lists made spend significantly lower amounts on money on groceries... It pays to be a little more organized sometimes!"<br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>#4</b><i> Check to see what's on sale, and clip coupons</i></u></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Checking for sales seems to be the obvious thing to me, but since I like to plan in advance, this can sometimes be tricky. This is where the freezer comes into play. If I see that chicken breasts is 50% off, but I haven't planned many meals that have chicken in them, I'll buy it anyway and put it in my freezer. Then, next month, I'll plan for more chicken meals. Overall, I'll spend less per meal. I don't clip many coupons (mostly because I'm lazy, and I can't print them off the internet because I haven't bothered to put ink in my printer for months and months) but I wish I did. It seems so silly to me that I don't take the free money that's being handed to me through coupons. Heather says, "...there are so many places online where you can find coupons. Anymore it seems as if you can go to any company's website and print off coupons for their products. Here is a <a href="http://www.couponing101.com/">great guide for starting out in the coupon world</a>, and here are some of my favorite blogs where I get my coupon info..."</div> <a href="http://moneysavingmom.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="MoneySavingMom.com" class="aligncenter" src="http://moneysavingmom.com/blog_button.gif" height="150" width="150" /></a><a href="http://survivingthestores.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Surviving the Stores" class="aligncenter" src="http://www.survivingthestores.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/sts_button125.jpg" height="125" width="125" /></a> <a href="http://www.organicdeals.blogspot.com%20/" target="_blank"><img alt="Organic Deals - Helping Moms Go Organic Without Going Broke" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_jdsPgKxf7dw/S2Iqd6aRB6I/AAAAAAAAIeM/nIAHGyIo4cU/OrganicDeals_button.png" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.couponsavinggame.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Coupon Saving Game Button" src="http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/msavello/coupon-button.gif" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>#5</b><i> Watch for manager specials (markdowns)</i></u></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have no problem going to the bakery cart and buying bread that will expire in a few days. It's usually 50-70% off the sale price, and if I freeze it or use it in the next day or few, no one ever knows the difference. My favorite way to use Italian Bread loaves from the bakery cart is to cut them into thick slices, top with pizza toppings and bake. Everyone gets their own 'pizza', it's super cheap, delicious, and takes 5 minutes to make. Yummy, and easy. Use your judgment, of course, in determining if a food is good. Just don't turn down food just because it's 'Sell-by date' is in three days.<br /><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>#6</b></u><i><u> Don't take the kiddos<br /></u></i></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a no-brainer to me, but sometimes you just cannot help it. If I have to bring a kid to the grocery store, I make them stay in the cart (or they're going to grab all the goodies the stores place in their reach) and bring a book or maybe an iPod and headphones. If a child is occupied (and full!) they won't beg for food or treats as much, I find. Or, if they are old enough to understand money, give them a 'task'. Show them two identical products, and the prices, and have them show you which one is a better buy, and try to get them explain why they think so. Teach them about the 'price per ounce' part on the price tags and have them pick the cheaper product. Maybe you could keep a record of how much money they 'save' the household by picking the right product, and reward them for a job well done. They'll take pride in making the right choices and helping their family. And you'll be setting your children up with a frugal mindset!<br /><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>#7</b></u><i><u> Premade mixes are not your friend</u></i></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heather says, "Cake mixes, cookie mixes, bisquick, ect... sure, they might make things a tad bit easier, but in the end you're just wasting money. You have to make a decision on which is more important... convenience or price. Usually you can make all of those handy little mixes for under half the price (usually more than that) </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Check out <a href="http://lifeasmom.com/2009/11/ultimate-recipe-swap-make-ahead-meals.html">this post at Life As Mom</a> for a how-to on making your own mixes." I want to make my own mixes! </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>#8</b><i> Don't grab the first thing you see at the store</i></u></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heather says, "Stores will try and trick you into buy a more expensive item. They are very tricky in this way. They make sure to put the <i>eye candy</i> and things are more of an impulse buy right at eye level. Also, stay away from end of the aisle displays. Make sure you go ahead and shop for whatever it is <b>IN</b> the aisle, so that you can do a side by side comparison of the other brands. Just because it's on sale does not mean it's a bargain."</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>#9</b><i> Go to the grocery during off hours and never go hungry</i></u></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If I have coupons with me, and the store is busy, I usually just won't use them. I know it's annoying when someone in front of me is taking forever to dish out all their coupons, so I always assume I'm going to annoy others around me, so I just keep my coupons to myself. If I go at a time when the store isn't very busy, usually around early morning, I'll be more relaxed in my shopping, I'll use my coupons, and I'll be able to make the right choices when choosing foods. The most important part of this rule is the 'never go hungry' part. Seriously. When I'm hungry, I walk down each aisle and say 'Oooooh, I should make that. And that. And that. And that...etc.' I end up spending much more money than I had intended, ignoring my shopping list, and making my husband mad, ha ha.<br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u><b>#10</b></u><i><u> Bulk shop during great sales</u></i></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heather says, "If you see that a store is having a fabulous sale on something that your family eats regularly, then stock up! You will save a bunch of money in the end. Meats, cheese, canned goods... these are all good things that if on sale, you should buy more of. Stick it in the freezer and you'll not only guarantee that you'll have enough throughout this month, but maybe over the next couple of months." Use your freezer, people! =D<br /></div> <div style="text-align: left;"><br />So, there you have it. Ten ways to save money while shopping. Check out both blogs up there. You'll find lots of neat stuff.<br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"></div> <div style="text-align: left;"><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-78435771774124305732010-03-02T09:50:00.000-05:002010-03-09T10:03:09.967-05:00Projects! So many projects!<span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Well, I started on my quilt. I made the front of the pillow, and the top and bottom strips of the quilt. It's going rather well, although I had to pull the seams out a few times to get it <i>perfect.</i> I'm very excited about it, and I cannot wait to finish it, but at the moment, I'm working on a new project, and I have several more in mind. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">My 16-year-old-going-on-30 sister, Krystal, is going to be moving in with my husband and I (if everything goes according to plan), and I've been working on some presents to make her move much more pleasant. When I am done with that project, there are a few more things I'm longing to get done. I want to try my hand at selling a thing or two on Etsy.com or Artfire.com. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Since my passion is children, and I love to make things, I thought I would try and make just one or two baby things, put them up on Etsy, and see what people think. The thing I want to make most is an adorable little baby girl's pinafore with matching bloomers. I want to make it reversible (because who doesn't love 2-in-1 outfits?) but I'm not QUITE sure how to go about that. Also, I don't know if there are laws concerning fabrics. I don't know if it is legal for me to go to, say, JoAnn's, buy fabric, make something out of it and sell it. I don't think there would be laws like that, but I need to be on the safe side, so I am going to research that. I cannot wait to get something up for sale and see what happens!</span><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" id="refHTML"></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-43300998628674842082010-01-19T10:34:00.004-05:002010-01-19T10:40:39.188-05:00Man, I want this!<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Kim at </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" href="http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/">The Nourishing Gourmet</a><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> often induces cravings for healthy delicious foods in me, but today... it's all I can do to stop myself from running to the store to get the ingredients for this now. Since I haven't made it (I just REALLY want to) I'm not going to say much about it. I'll let her post do all the talking.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Here is her original post (but don't forget to visit her blog. It's wonderful!) </span><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" class="headline_area"> <h1 class="entry-title"><span style="font-size:85%;">Rich, Dark Hot Cocoa (Dairy and Refined Sugar Free)</span></h1> <p class="headline_meta">by <span class="author vcard fn">KimiHarris</span> on <abbr class="published" title="2010-01-18">January 18, 2010</abbr></p> </div> <p style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><img src="http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/hotcocoa.jpg" alt="hotcocoa" title="hotcocoa" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2596" height="362" width="545" /><br />I’ve had a sudden fixation on dark chocolate. Long time readers here will know that I’ve always loved chocolate but I’ve been going weeks on end without having chocolate. Well, no longer. To satisfy my chocolate tooth, I started turning to hot cocoa. This version is dark, creamy, and delicious. I find it a perfect treat to have mid-afternoon (or an almost mid-night snack, which we did last night). And it’s pretty guilt free too, sweetened with a drizzle of maple syrup, full of the healthy fats from the coconut milk and unsweetened cocoa powder too. </p> <p style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Chocolate (without all of the yucky other ingredients added to it in most candy bars) is actually considered a very healthy food by many. Like cranberries, apples, onions, tea and red wine, chocolate is loaded with flavonoids. According to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592332285?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=thenourgour-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1592332285" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.amazon.com');">The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thenourgour-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1592332285" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" />, the particular flaonoids called flavanols found in chocolate “prevent fatlike stubstances in the bloodstream from clogging the arteries. When you reduce the blood’s ability to clot, you also reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.” The author also mentions that chocolate is high in magnesium (which, by the way, is why many crave chocolate when they are low in magnesium). I’ve also read of several studies connecting chocolate to a healthy blood pressure. </p> <p style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span id="more-2595"></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Because I use coconut milk powder (I ordered mine from Wilderness Family Naturals), this is dairy free, though you could easily use whole milk instead. I’ve sweetened it with maple syrup, but honey would work too. I wanted to use a liquid sweetener because it would dissolve more easily, but use rapadura or coconut sugar if you are willing to do a little mixing. Feel free to use canned coconut milk too. Maybe half full fat coconut milk with an equal amount of water for a rich taste, or more water for a less rich taste. </p> <div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" id="custom_box"><strong><br />Rich, Dark Hot Cocoa </strong><br /><em>See notes above for ingredient substitutions. </em> <ul>2/3 cup of coconut milk powder (see notes above)<br />1/4 cup of full fat cocoa powder<br />Scant 1/4 cup of maple syrup or honey<br />4 cups of water<br />1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)</ul> <p>French Press Method: While water is being brought to a boil, add the coconut milk powder, cocoa powder and sweetener to the french press. Add the boiling water and with a gentle motion, use the press to help mix everything together (I use an up and down motion in the top half of the french press). Add the vanilla and serve. </p> <p>Regular Method: Place the coconut milk powder, cocoa powder and sweetener in a four glass pyrex measuring cup. Add just enough boiling water to moisten this mixture and whisk to form a smooth paste. Add more water to a bit over the four cup mark. Add the vanilla and serve. </p> <p>*I’ve labeled this recipe vegan and dairy free, but do note that their are trace amounts of milk in the coconut milk powder. To be completely vegan and dairy free, use canned coconut milk.</p></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-10419396273333769002010-01-19T09:55:00.000-05:002010-01-19T10:19:01.669-05:00Smothered Pork chops<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">This is a delicious meal. I really enjoy mushrooms, and I especially enjoy creamy noodle dishes, so this dish is a win-win for me. I got the original recipe from eatbetteramerica.com and altered it, and I'm pleased with the final product. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1 lb. thinly sliced boneless pork chops</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1 teaspoon canola oil</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1 cup chopped onion</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1 10 3/4 oz. can of condensed cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1 c water</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1/2 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1/2 teaspoon ground thyme </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1/2 teaspoon ground sage</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1/2 teaspoon pepper</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1/2 cup fat-free sour cream</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">8-12 oz. egg noodles, cooked</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Cook chops in large skillet on medium high heat for 4 minutes on each side. Set aside.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Heat canola oil in pan and add onions and mushrooms. Stirring constantly, cook until onions start to get tender and mushrooms start to get lightly brown. Deglaze the pan with the water, being sure to get all the tasty 'bits' from the bottom. Add soup, soy sauce, sage, thyme, and pepper and stir well. Return chops to the pan, and bring to a boil, uncovered. Allow to simmer until pork chops are cooked through and the sauce has reduced. Add sour cream, mixing well. Serve mixture over egg noddles.</span>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-64769508632176748542010-01-14T11:18:00.000-05:002010-01-14T11:54:46.251-05:00Nacho Bake<span style="color:#666666;">My mother-in-law makes a fast Nacho Bake that I really enjoy. When my husband requested it a few days ago, I asked her for her recipe and made it last night. I used lean ground turkey instead of ground beef. (If you've never used lean ground turkey, I really would like to encourage you to try it. Where I buy meat, ground turkey is usually cheaper than ground beef, especially the very lean ground beef. Besides being very economical, lean ground turkey is lower in fat and calories than ground beef . It requires a bit more seasoning than ground beef, so it is perfect in dishes that are heavily seasoned, like chili or tacos. Anyway, I digress.) My mother-in-law seasons the meat with chili seasoning (in the packet, which you can find with the gravy mixes and taco seasonings) and taco sauce. It is very good this way. The chili powder adds a great depth to the meat. With the chili seasoning and the taco sauce, I think the dish has a more mid-west flavor, as opposed to a neo-mexican taco flavor, which I tend to gravitate towards. Next time I make this dish, I am going to replace the chili seasoning with taco seasoning, and the taco sauce with chunky salsa. I think it will be wonderful! Oh, and I'll use ground turkey again. I promise: if you don't tell your family that it's not ground beef, they will never know!<br /><br />Nacho Bake<br />1 lb. ground turkey (or very lean ground beef)<br />1 packet chili (or taco) seasoning<br />12 ounces taco sauce (or chunky salsa)<br />1 12 ounce bag of nacho cheese flavored chips (I use Doritos, but using a store brand doesn't change the taste of the dish much)<br />8 ounces mexican cheese<br />Sour cream<br /><br />Brown the ground meat (if using turkey, use a tablespoon of two of canola oil; this is not needed for fatty ground beef), drain if needed, add the entire packet of seasoning and the taco sauce. Allow the meat to simmer for a couple minutes so that the sauce is absorbed. Crunch up all your chips and put a little less than half in the bottom of a 13x9" baking dish. Spread half the meat evenly in a layer, top with half the cheese, and repeat the layers. I like to top the dish with a little bit of chips (instead of just cheese) and it comes out looking cute. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees, or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and enjoy! I hope you try this!</span>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-57633752112933704852010-01-03T13:58:00.000-05:002010-01-03T14:47:32.076-05:00I'm making a quilt!A couple years ago, I bought some beautiful fabric to make myself a costume for a renaissance fair. In pure 'Debbie' fashion, I never got around to it. (To be fair, one of the reasons I never finished it is that I messed up a cut, and would have had to buy another yard.) So for a couple of years, I've had this large bundle of beautiful dark rose corduroy and a light rose silky fabric. I decided a few months ago to make a quilt out of it and actually started to, but soon found out that I NEEDED a rotary cutter and mat to make everything even. Well, I finally have them, and I have been cutting out my squares. I'm going to make a lap quilt and a pillow or two. Here are my plans, and a picture of the actual fabric. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S0DrgQXx2JI/AAAAAAAAACs/c5Qi9bT2NIc/s1600-h/quilt.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S0DrgQXx2JI/AAAAAAAAACs/c5Qi9bT2NIc/s320/quilt.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422592890737121426" border="0" /></a>Each little block is 4" by 4" so the final lap quilt will be 3' by 5'. I'm going to keep a large part of the blanket simple, and just put the corduroy in large blocks. I'd like to do the whole thing patchwork, but I know I'd never finish that! =D So, I'll make it a little easier on myself, and it'll still be stunning. I'm going to make the back of the blanket entirely out of the silky fabric. It'll be so cozy and wonderful, like a large child's blanket. I love it! Here's a (poor quality) picture of the actual fabric:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S0Dvx5YbwPI/AAAAAAAAAC0/gljOwZMBRUI/s1600-h/102_3602.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/S0Dvx5YbwPI/AAAAAAAAAC0/gljOwZMBRUI/s400/102_3602.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422597591850008818" border="0" /></a>I can't wait to get sewing!<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-91724674846001272242009-12-26T14:13:00.000-05:002009-12-29T16:03:13.535-05:00Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Kiss Cookies<a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/SzpsGgaf_GI/AAAAAAAAACk/H380HGwNBpo/s1600-h/finished+cookies.jpg"></a><a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/SzpfO4w3LTI/AAAAAAAAACM/y-oRBgylx5Q/s1600-h/finished+cookiesII.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/SzpfO4w3LTI/AAAAAAAAACM/y-oRBgylx5Q/s320/finished+cookiesII.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420749810853948722" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">What a name, eh? These beauties are made of chocolate dough with chocolate chips in it, rolled in chocolate sprinkles (or drizzled with chocolate for sprinkle haters), and topped with a chocolate kiss. Sounds good, right? They were amazing! I found this recipe some time ago at the </span><a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" href="http://blissfullydomestic.com/2009/super-duper-chocolate-kiss-cookies">Blissfully Domestic </a><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">blog (such a great blog, by the way), and just had to try them. I thought they would be wonderful Christmas cookies, and boy, was I right! I'll post the original recipe first, but, as usual, I altered it quite a bit, so I'll re-post the recipe with my changes.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Super Duper Chocolate Kiss Cookies</span><br /><strong style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />Ingredients</span>:</strong><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">16.5 oz package of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">2/3 cup chocolate-flavored sprinkles</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">2 tablespoons milk</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">40 Dark Chocolate Hershey's kisses, unwrapped </span><p style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">Directions</span>:</strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.</p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">2. In a large Ziploc bag, combine the cookie dough and cocoa powder. Seal the bag and knead it with your hands until the dough is well mixed.<br /></p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">3. Put chocolate sprinkles in a shallow bowl, and then the milk in another shallow bowl.</p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">4. Remove the dough from the plastic baggie and start forming them into 1-inch balls.</p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">5. Dip the balls in the milk, just to moisten them, and then roll them in the sprinkles.</p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">6. Place these balls two inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.</p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">7. Bake for approximately eight minutes, or until the edges are firm.</p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">8. Immediately press a Hershey's kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer the cookies onto a wire rack and let cool.</p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Makes approximately 36 cookies. These can be frozen for up to three months after baking them.</p><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">The first thing I did was decide to double the recipe! With a family like mine, especially on a holiday like Christmas, I needed more than 36 dinky little cookies! So I went out and bought a 36 oz. bag of assorted kisses. The bag included dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and chocolate 'meltaways.' I couldn't find any that were already unwrapped (bummer!) so I set my husband to unwrapping! We mostly just used the dark chocolate, but tried some meltaways to see if they made a difference (you can't tell they aren't normal kisses after their baked, so don't bother), and reserved some milk chocolate ones for drizzling. Instead of buying two 16.5 oz. tubes of dough, I just bought a 30 oz. tube. It was much cheaper, so I just went with it. I left it out to get to room temperature so that I could easily mix in the cocoa powder (there's no way I was going to try and scrape cookie dough out of a baggie, so I nixed that and just used a wooden spoon and a huge bowl.) I used double the cocoa powder that the recipe called for even though I didn't exactly double the dough. I figured it would just be extra chocolate-y, and who doesn't like that? At first, it was difficult to mix the dough, but after mixing for just a couple minutes, the dough became glossy and a beautiful chocolate color. (As a raw dough, it had a slightly bitter taste from the cocoa, but this cooked out.)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">I didn't have a small ice cream scoop to make same-sized dough balls (my favorite way of doing it), and I was running out of time, so I pat the dough into an inch thick disk, wrapped it in plastic, and tossed it in the fridge. I figured it would be easier to handle if it was cold, and the cocoa would have a chance to really flavor the dough. When I took it out, I cut the disk into 3/4 inch squares, rolled them into balls with my hand, dipped them into milk, then into the sprinkles.</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/SzpjW7eKzRI/AAAAAAAAACc/4jgNZnyyY60/s1600-h/doughI.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 307px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/SzpjW7eKzRI/AAAAAAAAACc/4jgNZnyyY60/s320/doughI.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420754347066314002" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">I soon found that dipping them into milk first is just not an efficient way of doing things. The milk got the sprinkles in my bowl wet and made them clumpy, it made my hands gooey, and didn't help the sprinkles stick to the dough at all. I skipped the milk and just rolled the balls in the sprinkles. This worked perfectly. The sprinkles stuck very well and they looked so cute all lined up on parchment paper. I made some without sprinkles (a particular husband of mine thinks that sprinkles are a waste of stomach space) and melted some chocolate to drizzle on top instead.</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/SzpjH-a63xI/AAAAAAAAACU/Tdi5eKxpqZo/s1600-h/uncooked+balls+II.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 270px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/SzpjH-a63xI/AAAAAAAAACU/Tdi5eKxpqZo/s320/uncooked+balls+II.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420754090159955730" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">I baked them for about 8 minutes, took them out and put a kiss in them, and let them cool on my cookie rack. When they come out, they are very soft, and a few broke and fell through the cracks in my cookie racks, so be wary of that. As soon as they cool enough to bite into, eat one! They taste like brownies when warm, especially with a melted puddle of chocolate kiss/chocolate goo on top! Sooooo good! All in all, they were a hit. They were super chocolate-y and a nice change from peanut butter kiss cookies. I will definitely be making them again!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Here is the recipe, my way:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Super Duper Chocolate Kiss Cookies (otherwise known as Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Chocoate Kiss Cookies =D)</span><br /><br /><strong style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="font-size:85%;">Ingredients</span>:<br /></strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">30 oz package of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">2/3 cup chocolate-flavored sprinkles</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">70 dark chocolate kisses, unwrapped</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);font-size:85%;" ><strong>Directions:</strong></span> <p style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.</p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">2. Combine room temperature cookie dough and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Pat into an inch thick disk, wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for an hour or more. (Chilling it is optional, but the dough is less gummy and very easy to handle when cold.)<br /></p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">3. Cut the dough into 3/4 inch squares, roll each square into a ball with your hands, roll them in sprinkles, and place them on parchment paper covered cookie sheets, 2 inches apart. Note: Dark pans/cookie sheets heat up faster and stay at a higher temperate than lighter pans. This extra heat causes the cookies to spread out too much and cook too fast. This results in cookies that are well done on the bottoms and underdone on the top, as well as being thinner than desired. Be sure to use light colored pans/cookie sheets, keep your dough chilled, and try to stagger your pans so that you are putting cookies on cool baking sheets, instead of hot ones. Trust me, you'll have a taller, softer, more evenly cooked cookie everytime.<br /></p><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">4. Bake for approximately eight minutes, or until the edges are firm and immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer the cookies onto a wire rack and let cool, being mindful of how fragile they are. And don't forget to eat one while they are still hot!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">I was in a hurry and didn't take pictures of the cookies when they were just cooled. I've been kicking myself for forgetting! So I rounded up the few 'rejects' or 'ugly' ones that didn't make it to my display plate and photographed them. There was only one cookie without sprinkles left, and I don't think they look as good, but I showed it anyway. You'll have to forgive the terrible quality of my camera, and keep in mind that these are the 'ugly', broken, or oddball ones. They're delicious though!</span><br /><a style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/SzpsGgaf_GI/AAAAAAAAACk/H380HGwNBpo/s1600-h/finished+cookies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/SzpsGgaf_GI/AAAAAAAAACk/H380HGwNBpo/s320/finished+cookies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420763960529910882" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">I hope you make these for your family!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-80201693575815131182009-12-03T12:03:00.000-05:002009-12-04T10:20:04.856-05:00Almost Christmas time!<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana;" >Oh, I do love Christmas. It is so hard to believe that beloved holiday is almost here! This Christmas is especially joyful as it is my first Christmas as a married woman! My husband and I have spent the last several Christmases together while we were dating, but this one feels so special since we actually have our own place to live and we can begin celebrating the holiday our way. So wonderful.</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana;" >We have our Christmas tree up now, and I am just so thrilled with it. For my first tree on my own, I think it is just about perfect. We went with an artificial tree, mostly because I was able to find this amazing 7" tree for $65 from abcdistributing.com! Here it is all put together and ready to be adorned!</span> <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/SxfxN94gXyI/AAAAAAAAABU/_GtDnwoCtTI/s1600-h/102_3418.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/SxfxN94gXyI/AAAAAAAAABU/_GtDnwoCtTI/s320/102_3418.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411058699561099042" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana;" >My husband was apparently hiding behind the tree when I took that, hence the 'scary claw' hand sticking out. Silly guy. I love the tree. Although I prefer to make my own ornaments, I've simply not had the time or the money to do so this year, so we bought a bunch of red and silver ones. I think they're beautiful.</span> <a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/Sxf5HMJ8iDI/AAAAAAAAABk/OKXeg8DH_xg/s1600-h/102_3453.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/Sxf5HMJ8iDI/AAAAAAAAABk/OKXeg8DH_xg/s200/102_3453.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411067379226282034" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana;" >I did have a few ornaments to add to the tree this year, and I think they go very nicely. The green one here (with the red bow) is one that I crocheted.</span> <div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: verdana;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/Sxf7lbLCXyI/AAAAAAAAABs/_68ZVVt0cxw/s1600-h/102_3464.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/Sxf7lbLCXyI/AAAAAAAAABs/_68ZVVt0cxw/s200/102_3464.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411070097676721954" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana;" >And so, the final look!</span> <div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: verdana;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/Sxf7l_BHYWI/AAAAAAAAAB0/9x-I6yOU8uc/s1600-h/102_3459.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/Sxf7l_BHYWI/AAAAAAAAAB0/9x-I6yOU8uc/s200/102_3459.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411070107298783586" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: verdana;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/SxkoPKcN8mI/AAAAAAAAACE/jp1ySbVi9PI/s1600-h/102_3462.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mzEn3fIyh7A/SxkoPKcN8mI/AAAAAAAAACE/jp1ySbVi9PI/s400/102_3462.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411400668228219490" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Hope your Christmas decorating goes well!<br /></div></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: verdana;" id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: verdana;" id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3637233989862434071.post-69772648790475311292009-12-03T12:00:00.001-05:002009-12-03T12:00:34.120-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Well, it's the dreaded first post. The post where you write why you are starting your blog, say that you hope you will stick with it, and where you promise to write every day. At least, that's how has been for me. I've had several blogs in the past; like my high school teenage-angst blog, my college 'life sucks' blog, and my attempt at an esoteric blog as an adult. All of these failed, and I started each one with a post saying that I hope my new blog will really be something. So, I have decided to do no such thing for this blog. This time, I welcome you, you big scary first post. You are the beginning of a blog, regardless of how long it is, and I like you.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Welcome to my blog!</span>Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04908118682882679450noreply@blogger.com0